Second Time Around
by greenolive
Summary: Sasuke has cheated on Sakura, and now he will learn that redemption is always harder the second time. SasuSaku
1. Life Was Great

Why hello! So, this is my first story EVER. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the song. Obviously.

CHELSEA

Chpt.1 – Life was great

Sakura was happily singing a song as she walked down the streets of Konoha to Ichiraku. Life was great for her. Shall we list the ways?

She was one of the best medics in Konoha.

Her work load hadn't been too heavy. Not many people were getting hurt, so she could relax.

It was a beautiful day.

She had heard an awesome song today which she was currently singing.

Today was Thursday, which meant she would eat with Naruto at Ichiraku.

She had a boyfriend. Sasuke Uchiha.

Oh yeah. You read correctly. She had been dating Sasuke for almost a year now. It had been three years since he had come back from killing Itachi and Orochimaru. She remembered the very day he came back.

_Flashback:_

_It had been a sunny day, just like today. Once again, she was walking to Ichiraku and there he was, right in the middle of the street. She stopped cold. Memories and feelings of mixed love and hate flooded back Questions plagued her mind .What was he doing here? What did he want? Had he killed Itachi? Orochimaru? All of those emotions bottled up over the years he was gone…..they threatened to explode. She could do nothing but stand there and hope she didn't look like an idiot. He stepped towards her. One step, two steps, three, four, five……..how close was he planning on getting? He finally stopped, his face inches from hers. Her heart was pounding in her chest. "Hey," he said. "HEY?" she thought, "Is that is all he can say after all this time? Stupid…" She was about to smack him into the ground but was stopped when she felt arms wrap around her. His arms. He leaned his face in until their cheeks touched lightly. "Hey," he whispered in her ear, "I love you."_

The rest was history. Redemption didn't come easily, but it came nonetheless. First Sakura, then Naruto, then everyone else followed. Sasuke was different now. "More emotional," thought Sakura, which wasn't saying much. He was still rather cold and indifferent, but there were a few smiles and he was more at ease around others. That was enough for Sakura.

When she arrived at Ichiraku, Naruto was already waiting. "Hey Sakura-chan! Where have you been? I'm STARVING!" cried Naruto. "So typical," she thought. Naruto had matured over the years. He had helped her through the time that Sasuke was gone. Huge crying sessions and pep talks were readily given. Even during those times, he told her that he loved her. "Lee did too," she thought with a sort of half grimace on her face. Eventually, she told Naruto that she loved him back, but not in the same way. He understood, and that was what made him one of her best friends. She sat down and ordered her food. The two friends talked while they were waiting.

"So how are things with Sasuke-teme?"

Sakura smiled. "Things are good….no……..they're great."

Naruto gave a small smile in return. Inside, he was frowning. Recently, he had heard rumors about Sasuke, but he didn't want to believe them. Those rumors though…….they were all over town…old women, jealous fangirls, even some of the guys were talking about it…..what if they were true? Naruto shook his head to clear his mind. They couldn't be. Sasuke would never do any of the things they said. Plus, he had heard it from Sakura herself. Things were fine. It was just gossip. Right? Should he ask her? Had she heard anything?

"Are you okay Naruto?" Sakura asked, voice filled with concern, "you look kind of worried about something." Naruto had quieted down over the years, but he was never this….quiet. Usually, he'd just launch off on another topic.

"No! Things are awesome!" Naruto said, trying to recover by giving her an overly big smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" What a lie. Naruto was still worried. He gave himself a mental slap. "Stop it!" he thought to himself, "she's fine. You heard her. She's fine. You'll just hurt her if you ask her if they're true. She might not even know that there are rumors! Stop it!" Slap, slap.

"Okay then, my turn." said Sakura, "How are things with Hinata?"

"Oh, yeah, it's pretty cool. She's quiet, but that's just her."

"I can't believe it took you so long to notice her. You're so clueless sometimes."

"Whatever."

Sakura giggled and suppressed an eye roll. Naruto was hopeless. Well, at least things were good between him and Hinata. They had been going out for a few months now, after Naruto had _finally_ noticed her. She held back another eye roll.

The food came out and the two friends ate and talked. They talked about things like training, weapons, and whether or not Neji had PMS. Ordinary, everyday stuff. However, Naruto's worry continued to eat at him. He just couldn't stop himself from going back and asking himself the same question.

_The rumors…are they true?_

Sakura noticed that he wasn't as…..peppy…. as usual, but she decided to let it go. "It might just be a one-day depression kind of thing. I'll check tomorrow." she thought. When the ramen was gone and meal had been paid for, (It was Naruto's turn to pay; another reason why life was great.) they walked outside and said their goodbyes.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to say something, hopefully in most subtle way possible. Hopefully being the key word.

"Sakura-chan, I'm glad everything's great for you. Uhhh………….IT'S TIME FOR A FRIENDLY REMINDER!"

Sakura laughed. What was he doing now?

Naruto blinked hard and hoped for the best.

"DON'T LISTEN TO RUMORS!"

A pause followed. Sakura looked very confused.

"AND DON'T DO DRUGS!"

Sakura laughed. Naruto was hilarious. "I guess he's okay," she thought, "He seems fine now."

"But seriously Sakura-chan. Don't let people get to you," said Naruto in a soft voice.

"Well, even though I have no idea what you're talking about, thanks. I'll see you later, Naruto!" She turned; walked down the street a little ways, looked back, and waved.

Naruto smiled waved back. He waited until Sakura was out of sight to stop waving and sighed. At least she hadn't heard anything. He wasn't as relieved as he thought he would be. That nagging worry was still there. But then again, how can you not worry when someone you love could be hurt?

* * *

So.. this is it... should I keep going? 


	2. I Wish

Yes! Two positive reviews! Hehe, I know I'm overreacting, but whatever. Enjoy chapter two!

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I Wish…

Sakura continued making her way back home. Back home to a relaxing bath. Back home to some good music. Back home to Sasuke. Day turned into evening. The fireflies came out, and the sun began to set against a dusty pink and blue sky. "Today has been so wonderful," Sakura thought, "I wish…….. I wish that every day could be like this." Fortune, however, was still smiling on her, for what did she see on her way home? A chocolate shop with a buy-one-get-one-free sale! Sakura almost fell over in disbelief. Chocolate? On sale? She rushed into the store, breathing in the scent of chocolate and other sweets that she loved so much. Sakura smiled. Not only could she enjoy a treat, she could get Sasuke one too for free! Though this was not a widely known fact, Sasuke was a chocolate-fanatic. "Well, it does kind of ruin the macho man image…" Sakura thought as she continued through the store, looking at numerous truffles and bonbons. Everything in sight made her mouth water. Finally, she reached the back of the store where the counter was. The door to the back room was closed. The owner of the store was nowhere to be found. Sakura paused and remembered some things she had heard about the owner of the chocolate shop. This woman was supposedly very………….. promiscuous.

"Sakura!" she scolded herself, "What did Naruto just tell you? Huh, wait a second. Is this what he was talking about? He didn't want me to listen to rumors about the store lady?" She stood perplexed for a moment, and then just dismissed all of her thoughts. Something as trivial as over-thinking was not going to destroy her perfect day. She smiled, walked back to the front of the store, and continued looking through the candy. After carefully selecting two chocolates of her choice, she made her way back to the counter. The door to the back room was slightly ajar this time. She heard a few high pitched giggles. _Annoying_ high pitched giggles. Sakura couldn't really see what was going on. She caught a flash of purple hair and a snatch of orange cloth. Then, to her surprise, she saw a VERY familiar bit of spiky black hair.

"Alright! Sasuke's here! I've been waiting all day to see him!" she thought. It was these kinds of thoughts that showed the depth of her love. She could hardly stand not seeing him, even if they had been apart only five minutes. However, she would wait an eternity for him. Love like this was rare.

It never even occurred to her to think about why he was back there.

Sakura was about to go flying through the door to greet Sasuke when she heard the woman speak.

"Sasuke-kun, you can just put the things right there."

Sakura froze. It wasn't what that woman had said; it was how she had said it. Her voice sounded so slow, so alluring, so…inviting. What was going on? People did not talk like that normally.

Sakura slid behind the counter and peeked through the door crack. There was Sasuke and that woman. "What was her name?" she silently asked herself. She couldn't remember, so she dubbed this woman Purple. Not a great nickname, but it was a practical because of her hair. She turned her thoughts back to what was happening in front of her. The two in the back room were sorting through boxes.

_Oh! Sasuke-kun is becoming more open! He's actually doing someone a favor! _Sakura could barely contain herself. Sasuke was making progress! She didn't want to stop the improvement, so she continued to watch from behind the door.

Purple walked by Sasuke to put something on the shelf. As she passed, he grabbed Purple's wrist and stared at her with steely eyes that were full of ….something. She couldn't put her finger on it. Sakura's eyes widened. What was he doing? Sakura tried to reason things out behind the door.

_Purple was about to fall, that why he grabbed her hand. She's so clumsy._

Sasuke pulled Purple into him and held her around the waist. Purple set the item she was carrying down onto a table and smiled. Sakura stifled a gasp.

_Some kind of dangerous bear or snake or something is in the room. He is protecting her from it, just like he would protect anyone else. Any second now, he will chidori that thing to smithereens. _

"Whoa there, Sasuke-kun," said Purple, "slow down. We have plenty of time." Our pink-haired friend was getting desperate.

_She's kidding. She hasn't seen the wild animal that is about to attack her. She is completely oblivious and clumsy. She is taking things the wrong way. _

Sakura craned her neck trying to find that dangerous animal threatening to kill Purple, her body tensing with nervousness.

_Oblivious and clumsy._

Sasuke just stood there, holding Purple. After what seemed like forever, he gave her one of his famous smirks, leaned down, and kissed her.

Sakura's world shattered into millions of pieces. Logic was thrown out the door. There were no excuses left.

Things became heated between Sasuke and Purple, lips and hands seemingly everywhere at once.

Sakura couldn't move. This couldn't be happening. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. Her head was spinning, and she tried to stand. It didn't happen. She just fell against the counter, knocking glass jars of sweets onto the floor. The sound of shattering glass startled the two in the backroom, and they came running out, only to find a very bewildered pink-haired woman scrambling through glass shards and multi-colored candies. Sasuke took one look and his eyes expanded to an incredible diameter.

"Sakura…" he croaked.

Hearing her name released her voice. Sakura screamed, and this scream empowered the rest of her. Her arms and legs finally found their strength. She pushed herself up, glass cutting into her. Bleeding from numerous gashes, she ran into stands and displays, knocking over everything that blocked her way to the door. The door, the exit. Beyond the door was freedom. Freedom from this living nightmare. That's all she could think about as she fled the scene, only to leave a startled purple haired woman and a guilt-ridden Sasuke behind.

* * *

Sakura exploded out of the store continued to run. She ran in a straight line, afraid to turn. _How could this have happened? Why did he do it? Didn't he say he loved me? I thought everything was okay! I……._ Endless streams of questions presented themselves to her. Her mind overloaded, and things started to blur together. She was starting to feel a slight sting in her left calf, and she suddenly became aware of the hot blood that was coating her hands. She stopped. Looking down at herself, she could see that several huge pieces of glass were in her legs, an especially big one in her left calf. Her arms had huge gashes crisscrossing each other, and even though she hadn't sustained any cuts near her chest, her heart felt like it was in pieces. Still, her thinking had not yet cleared, and as if by some magical force, she ignored her pain and ran to the one place where she knew there would always be comfort.

* * *

Okay, so now the secret is out.

I'll try to get chapter 3 up as soon as possible.

Warning: Prepare yourself for major angst and lots of mango ice cream.


	3. The Power of Insight

Alright people! Chapter 3 is UP!

Thanks for all your lovely reviews!

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The Power of Insight

Naruto was sitting at his kitchen table reflecting on the dinner he had just had with Sakura.

_I'm kind of glad I didn't tell her about those rumors. Sasuke cheating on Sakura with that purple-haired chocolate lady? That teme is pretty stupid sometimes, but not that stupid. Besides, Purple Hair isn't all that great. I really could have started something bad. Well, once again, MY POWER OF INSIGHT PREVAILS! Oh yeah! Victory dance! I am so……_

His self-congratulatory thoughts were interrupted by a furious pounding on his door.

_Ugh, what do people want at this hour?_

He trudged his way and opened the door. There stood Sakura, his beloved friend, sobbing and dripping blood all over the place.

"Holy…. Sakura! What happened?" Naruto asked as he pulled Sakura into house.

"Sasuke! I went… chocolate…..I hate…..oh, Naruto!" she wailed and slumped against a wall. She felt so tired. Naruto quickly scooped her up and laid her gently on the couch.

"Hey, Sakura, take it easy. You're bleeding and need to rest. I'm going to get some help. Just wait here," Naruto said as soothingly as possible. He stood to leave.

Sakura shot up and grabbed his arm. "No! Naruto, don't go! I…..Sasuke….I found him…. he doesn't love me anymore! What did I do? What am I supposed to do?" she questioned, her voice getting more frantic with every syllable.

He tried to calm her down.

"Sakura… breathe." She gulped the air down.

"Okay, now tell me what Sasuke did."

Sakura swallowed some more air, and exhaled shakily.

"He………..I found him………………..with that purple-haired whore."

So much for power of insight.

* * *

Sasuke stood there, looking at the results of his actions. Blood streaked the floors, glass and candy were everywhere. There were two bloody handprints on the door where Sakura had pushed her way through. It was all his fault. He had screwed up bad, and he knew it. His heart felt like it was at the bottom of his stomach, guilt eating away at him like acid. 

"So that's her, huh?" she asked, playing with a lock of her hair.

"Yeah."

"Well, we were bound to be caught sometime."

"What?" How could she be so….._unconcerned_?

"I assume that we're over now. And usually couples who split have some kind of little speech to, ya know, finalize things. So, I'll go first."

Sasuke just stared. She continued.

"You're a good guy. I really like you. I thought at first maybe I could make you mine; that you would leave her and be with me. But no, you loved her. You loved her more than anything in the world. I was always 'the other woman,' but I didn't care. I wanted you……..and you kept coming back to me. I don't know why you did, but you did. That was enough right then."

She chuckled, and flipped her hair back.

"I guess this is the part where I say something meaningful….."

Sasuke gave her a twisted smile.

"…let's see……oh, okay. You don't deserve her. Just by looking at her I can tell that she is something special. Seeing her reaction, (and my completely trashed shop) I can tell that she loved you. Now that you've stooped so low, she may never forgive you."

Another pause, another hair flip.

"But because I like you, I'm going to tell you what you should do. Run to her as fast as you can. Don't stop for anything. When you find her, get on your knees and beg for forgiveness. Cry and plead and pray that she will take you back. If you don't, you will lose her, and you're going to be the most miserable man on earth. You're going to feel a whole lot worse than you do now. Life will be a living hell. Don't let her go."

Sasuke slumped onto the floor and picked up a piece of glass. Feel worse than he did now? Impossible. He put the piece of glass back down. Her words cut him deeper than the glass ever would.

"Well, I'm done. It's your turn to say something, Sasuke."

He stood and turned to her.

"I'm sorry for making you go through this. You're good inside…………..go find someone else. You deserve something better than a piece of trash like me."

He leaned down and gave her an apologetic kiss on the cheek. She smirked.

"Heh, you got that right. Now hurry up and get over to her. Don't worry. Things work themselves out."

Sasuke was out the door in a flash.

* * *

Back at the ranch (Do they even have ranches?): 

Sakura had now healed herself and was lying on Naruto's couch; face buried in her arms and sobs racking through her body. She cried out her sorrows to Naruto who was currently sitting next to her stroking her back and murmuring little comforts to her. He was a pro at this now; the product of a million crying sessions in the past.

"Oh Naruto! He doesn't want me! He wants some beautiful, exotic woman with purple hair and a chocolate shop and a high pretty voice! How am I supposed to compete with that! I thought he loved me! Naruuutooo!"

"No, Sakura, no. It's okay, it's okay." he cooed in a motherly voice. Naruto was always a little embarrassed when he used this voice because he thought he sounded….gay. However, this trivial problem was not going to stop him from helping his beloved friend. He would pretend to be gay for the rest of his life if it would benefit her.

"No Naruto! It's not okay! He doesn't love me anymore!" Her cries became louder and louder. The motherly voice wasn't working. Naruto sighed. He was going to have to call in the "Special Forces."

"Okay, Sakura, okay. I'm going to go call for reinforcements, and then we'll break out some ice cream, okay?"

Sakura quieted down a little and nodded. Naruto went into the kitchen to make the calls:

"Hey, Ino? Umm, sorry to call you so late, but we have a Code Pink…… yeah, we're going to need the big guns……..uh-huh. Thanks. See you in five."

"Hinata? Hey! Oh, uh, Sakura is having trouble again……….it's really bad this time……….alright. See you soon."

"Hey Tenten. Sasuke was a complete and total jerk and now Sakura is a mess………no! Don't kill him yet! We're still trying to figure things out………..well, maybe you should bring the kunai just in case………..Yeah, thanks, bye.

After finishing his last call, our blond friend went to his freezer and pulled out a special tub of ice cream that was reserved for times like these. And what flavor was it, you ask? Mango. That's right. Mango. Her favorite flavor. It was sweet and refreshing, not like strawberry or cherry that left that sickeningly sweet aftertaste. Whoever said that Sakura liked strawberry or cherry flavored things was obviously "judging the book by its cover". Remember folks; pink hair does not always equal a strawberry or cherry preference.

He walked back to Sakura.

"Alright Sakura, my friend, I called for backup, but while we're waiting, we can start on this ice cream here."

He popped open the tub and handed Sakura a spoon, grabbing one for himself in the process.

"So, before the help arrives, maybe you should tell me the whole story. Then we can get straighten stuff out, okay?"

Sakura sniffled some more and stuck her spoon in the creamy mango goodness.

"Okay….._sniff_…..well, I was walking home………"

And so began their wait for the Special Forces.

* * *

Oh yeah, another day, another chapter.

I'll try to get chapter 4 up soon. School is a killer. You know, reviews make me write faster…..wink, wink


	4. Introducing the Special Forces!

Hey everyone! The reviews were greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long wait, I'm kind of in a slump right now, but things are picking up. Enjoy chapter 4!

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Introducing….The Special Forces!

Sasuke had never run faster in his life. His heart was beating like crazy and his only thoughts were of finding her. He tore down the streets like a madman, poking his head into any place she could have been. (You know, if he had been thinking clearly, he probably could have followed the blood trail……hmmm) Finally, he stopped to take a breath.

_Where could she be?_

Sasuke looked at his surroundings. His eyes scanned the area and came to rest on two old women who were looking at him and shaking their heads. When his eyes traveled a little more to the right, he saw a couple of his old fan girls _roll their eyes._ Sasuke shuddered. Did everyone know what was going on?

Two minutes later, Sasuke spotted Ino, Hinata, and Tenten walking down the road, each holding a tub of……..ice cream?

_Hey! They're Sakura's friends, right? They'll know where she is! But………have they found out?_

He rushed over to the group of girls and quickly stepped in front of them, blocking their path.

"Ah, Ino! Tenten! Hinata! Have you seen Sakura? Please, it's important that I find her."

All he received was a you-pathetic-idiot-you-hurt-her-so-we're-not-going-to-help-you stare. Finally, Ino spoke up.

"Nope, no clue. Can we go now? We have somewhere to be."

It wasn't a lie.

Sasuke didn't believe her.

"Tell me where she is! Please!"

"We said we didn't know, and even if we did, do you think we would tell you?" Tenten replied, "You look like a one of those crazy axe murderers right now."

Sasuke took the hint and went into I'm-a-sad-desperate-man-who-is-in-love mode.

"You guys have probably heard about what I've been doing," he said in a quiet voice, "and it's true."

All three girls' eyebrows popped up. Was he talking about………..oh geez. So what those old ladies said was really true.

"I wish I could take it all back, but it's too late now. My only hope of fixing things is to talk to her. So please. Help me." He slumped to the ground, hoping that a little dramatics would help him.

All the girls went off into a huddle and began to whisper fervently. When they were done, they walked back to Sasuke who was still on the ground.

Hinata spoke first, "Okay Sasuke, we'll help you, but you have to follow our plan."

Sasuke stood and nodded. Like I said earlier, he was desperate. Hinata continued.

"Alright, we're going to go to Sakura first. Give us time to talk to her. Go hide and wait in a tree or something. We'll tap on a window when we think she is ready, and you can talk to her. Try to make it look like you got there on your own."

Tenten had to say something.

"Make her cry again, and we'll beat the crap out of you. And I'm sure Naruto wouldn't mind helping us. I don't think Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, Lee, or Shino would mind helping either. Understand?"

Sasuke nodded. There was no way he could survive ten on one.

"So hurry up. We're going to Naruto's." Ino finished curtly.

Sasuke wanted to kick himself. Why hadn't he thought of that before?

* * *

Sasuke slunk behind the group of girls keeping a distance of at least 20 feet. Every once in a while, one of the girls would look back and throw him a death glare. It wasn't long until they reached Naruto's. Sasuke immediately concealed himself in a bit of brush nearby, and the girls proceeded to knock on the door. They were quickly ushered in by a haggard looking Naruto, and what they saw inside his house almost made their eyes pop out of their heads. 

There was Sakura in the middle of the floor, three empty tubs of ice cream around her. She was busily working on her fourth.

Ino, Tenten, and Hinata immediately started to run to her, but were stopped by Naruto.

"Whoa guys, you need to know what happened first."

Naruto proceeded to tell the tale of how Sakura had come to his house bleeding, and how she told him that Sasuke had cheated on her.

Ino, quivering, was the color of a fire truck now. She had been angry earlier, but then seeing Sakura now and hearing the story almost made her explode. That jerk! How dare he do that? She regretted even talking to that pitiful cheater now. But she already promised she would help Sasuke, and a promise was a promise. Ino calmed herself down, and slowly made her way to Sakura who was lying on the couch, Tenten and Hinata following close behind.

"Hey, Sakura, we're here." Tenten cooed as quietly as possible.

Sakura shot up like a bullet at the sound of her friend's voice. Her eyes were glistening with tears and there were dry, rusty red smears on her face. Blood? Yes.

"Oh...sniff….thank you so much…sniff...I'm sorry…." Sakura said, trying to hold back the tidal wave that was threatening to spill out.

One look at their sad little pink-haired friend and they broke down. All four people rushed to her and started smothering her with hugs and love.

"Waaah! Sakura! It's no trouble, we love you! Sasuke doesn't deserve you!"

"It's okay, poor baby."

"Do you want us to kill Sasuke? We can totally do it, 'cause I got the rope and duct tape and everything! Well, we don't have to kill him, but torture, maybe?"

"Do you need more ice cream? Please don't be sad anymore!"

Sakura only started to cry harder.

"YOU GUYS ARE SO GOOD TO MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" she wailed. This only caused the group currently squishing her to grip her tighter, only stopping when Sakura started to have to gasp for air. They pulled back and looked at her. She gave a small, miserable smile and motioned for all of them to sit on the couch with her. Once all of them were seated, the group of friends talked…and talked…..and talked. They talked about anything and everything, only to make her feel better. Ice cream was shared, everyone grabbing some out of each other's tubs. Tenten helped Sakura finish cleaning all the blood off of her while Ino brought out a blanket. All four sat together and enjoyed the warmth. Soon, Sakura fell asleep with Hinata slowly stroking her back. When Naruto looked at the clock, he saw that it was almost two in the morning! Hinata saw the time too, and her eyes grew wide.

They had left Sasuke out there for four hours.

"Ah, Naruto?" Hinata questioned, "Would you mind coming to the kitchen with me? We have to talk about something…….."

* * *

Sasuke growled. What the hell was taking them so long? He was currently sitting on a tree branch out side of Naruto's house and sulking. A frustrated sigh came out. It was cold outside, and he desperately wanted…. no ….. needed, to talk to her. He had been a little scared when he heard about the rope/duct tape death tactic, but other than that…..he felt a little calmer, especially when she fell asleep. She looked so peaceful and beautiful, and it did weird things to his heart. 

Sasuke gave a small, spiteful laugh. He felt like a pervert stalker, standing outside and watching a girl he was obsessed with sleep.

His head perked up. A conversation was taking place in hushed whispers in the kitchen. Tilting his head, he strained to pick up the discussion.

* * *

"YOU GUYS LET HIM FOLLOW YOU?!?!?!" Naruto half screamed, half whispered. 

"Yes! What else could we do? He would have found us anyway, so it's okay." Hinata pleaded.

"So what, does he want to talk to her or something? Because at this point I don't think he should be within 100 yards of her."

"Well, maybe we should give him a shot. The only way to fix things is to let them work it out. We can't do anything, you see?"

"Ok, maybe we should. You guys have this all figured out, right? Maybe we should wait a little longer."

"He's already been sitting out there four hours. That's not enough? Just let him come and talk."

"Alright, I trust you guys. Just check with Sakura first to make sure she wants to talk to him."

* * *

"_Finally!"_ Sasuke thought. His mind searched for what he wanted to say. He couldn't remember. "_Screw it."_

He continued to watch from the tree.

Hinata and Naruto walked back into the living room. Ino and Teten were sitting on the floor next to a still sleeping Sakura.

"It's time." Hinata whispered.

"Here goes," said Tenten. She walked over to the window, pulled back the curtain, tapped the window pane hard, and screamed in her best fake shock voice.

"SAKURA! OH MY GOSH!"

Sakura's popped up, eyes wide.

"SASUKE IS OUTSIDE! HE'S COMING THIS WAY! HE FOUND US!" she continued to scream and poke the window. Sasuke hopped down from the tree and started walking toward the front door, still trying to hear what was going on inside the house.

"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!?!?!"

Sakura looked around. Everyone did their best to look surprised and anxious. Suddenly, she panicked.

"Oh no, you guys, what am I supposed to do? What do I say? Is he coming here? Like here, here? Help me!" She started to flail her arms about in a desperate attempt to express herself.

Strong, yet gentle hands grabbed Sakura's shoulders, but she didn't stop wriggling.

Naruto looked down at her and said, "You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to." Sakura fell quiet and thought about it for a few moments.

This was where Sasuke freaked out.

_No! Naruto! You're supposed to be my friend! What do you mean she doesn't want to talk to me?_

He stopped this train of thinking however, when he realized that he should have been grateful to even find Sakura.

_I know what I did was wrong. It's okay if she doesn't want to talk to me. I don't deserve it anyway._

He didn't have to worry however, because as soon as he reached the front door, he heard Sakura tell everyone that she would talk to him. He listened as she flew into another panic.

"What do I say? What if I say the wrong thing? Do I look okay? What is he doing now? Can you see? I can't breathe!"

Ino decided to intervene.

"Whoa, Sakura, stop! Just stop. Listen to me. I'm going to tell you what to do."

Sakura nodded and took a deep breath.

"Okay, number one, be calm. He is the one who has to apologize, not you. Number two, if you feel like it, stomp and grind. He doesn't deserve you. Don't take him back. If he really loved you, he wouldn't have done this, would he? He will try to get back together with you, but don't fall for it so easily. Men are pretty devious."

"Hey!" exclaimed Naruto. Ino just ignored him.

"But I still love him!" Sakura cried.

"I know, but you guys need time. Your feelings are going to change. That's a fact. So, for now, just take his apology, let him explain, and think over it." Ino switched to empower-the-sad-woman mode. "Remember, you are the one in charge! You don't need to take any crap from him! He should throw himself at your feet and beg for forgiveness! How could he have even thought of that other woman when you're a million times better? It's an insult! Let him know that you aren't going to come crawling back! Show him!"

Tenten pumped a fist in the air. "YEAH! Don't let him get away with it!"

"You can do it Sakura." This came from Hinata who was currently being held around the waist by Naruto. Naruto nodded and added, "Don't worry, we can kick his ass if things get out of hand."

Sakura stood up, feeling totally reenergized. She could do this! She didn't need him! Anger boiled inside of her.

_How pathetic! He even dares to come and talk to me! Right now, I am so above him. I can do this! Everyone is on my side; I can't lose! Hell yeah!

* * *

_

Sasuke, now leaning his forehead on the front door, felt utterly discouraged. Ino, Hinata, Tenten, and Naruto had not really helped him with their little speech. Well, he was just going to have to try to explain. That was all he could do. Suddenly, the door opened and Sasuke made a quick movement to keep himself from landing on his face. He was greeted by a steely Naruto who gave him a cold hello and death stare.

"Can I help you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke sighed, he knew Naruto knew exactly what he wanted. He decided to play along. He was in no position to be sarcastic.

"I need to talk to Sakura."

"Hmm, I don't know. Do you really deserve to?"

"Please Naruto, I'm begging you. I've waited for four hours and I just have to talk to her!"

"Fine. She's in the living room. You know what happens if you make her cry." He pulled out a kunai to emphasize the point.

"I know," Sasuke replied while smirking. Naruto just shot a smirk right back.

The two men walked into the living room.

Sasuke almost stopped breathing. There she was in the middle of the room with an angry, powerful look on her face, beautiful as ever. He looked around, feeling the full force of five death glares on him.

Ino started coldly, "We'll leave you two alone now." She walked past Sakura and gave her hand a quick, reassuring squeeze, then retreated to the kitchen, Hinata, Tenten, and Naruto close behind. Once they were all in the kitchen she shut the door and sighed. She looked at them and they looked at her. They all gave each other knowing glances and bitter grins. Hinata lunged first and pressed her ear to the door. Everyone else followed, fighting for space to listen in on the conversation. There was no way they were going to miss this.

* * *

Chapter four is done, baby! Sorry again for the long wait. I can't believe I even had time to do it…… anyway, remember to review! 


	5. Failing Miserably

Hey everyone! Another chapter up, so enjoy!

* * *

Failing Miserably

"Hello, Sasuke," Sakura began. She tried her hardest to keep her voice steady. "_Be strong!"_ she reminded herself.

Sasuke didn't move. He couldn't. His body wouldn't let him, and he felt like his heart was going to burst. His smoky eyes scanned the room nervously as he racked his brain for something to say. And being so overloaded, that brain gave him the only answer it could give.

"Hn."

"_Oh bad,"_ he immediately thought.

Back in the kitchen, Naruto, Ino, Tenten, and Hinata were thinking the exact same thing.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise then quickly grew small, full of anger.

"Hn, Sasuke?!? HN!?! THAT'S ALL YOU CAN SAY!?!? YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!!! ARE YOU FREAKING….." She was about to go on a full-blown rampage, but stopped her would-be tirade when she saw him. His sad eyes were wide, his hair was _everywhere, _and his lips were still a little blue from the cold outside. He was slumped over too, as if he was trying to hide inside himself. A little wave of hurt washed over her heart, and she found it in herself to try to talk again. This time, a little calmer.

"You first, Sasuke," she said in a tired voice.

"_I got lucky on that one,"_ he thought, _"Well, here we go."_

"Ah, Sakura…. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry. I know that you're angry and what I did was wrong, but, I'm sorry, and I love you." His voice was soft and whispery. He shifted from one foot to the other, eyes on the ground.

"_He looks so sad…. and he really means it, right?..._ _Wait! This is exactly what Ino said to watch for! Don't fall for it!"_ she thought, and said with impressive resolve,

"Not good enough."

He lifted his head, surprise written all over his face.

"I'm sorry? _I'm sorry_?I don't think that's going to make up for anything. Do you? I want to know the story, not hear apologies. Oh, and start from the beginning." She sat back down on the side of the couch, motioning for Sasuke to sit on the other side.

Our friends behind the door shifted uncomfortably. This was probably going to get ugly.

Sasuke stood gaping for a few seconds. Since when had she been so……commanding? He shrugged off his thoughts, however, and complied with Sakura's request. Once he had settled himself in, he took a breath, and began.

"Okay…. uh… do you remember when you had to stay at the hospital for about a week because all of those people were getting hurt?"

She slowly nodded. It had been a pretty miserable week. Several teams had come in half-dead, and then there were those idiot kids who didn't happen to know that hairspray was flammable…..

"Well, the guys and I went out one of those nights you were gone. We went to this bar, where I met her. I was just sitting there, and she came up to me."

* * *

Naruto smacked his forehead. He remembered that night. Sort of. Well, he remembered that they had all been wildly drunk, Neji had started some commotion about snorting bananas, Kiba had started stripping in the middle of the road, Shino, Shikamaru, and Chouji had tried to fly…unsuccessfully, and that Sasuke was supposed to have been the "designated driver", or in this case, the "designated make-sure-they-get-home-in-one-piece guy." And he had been with that woman the whole time! No wonder they had all woken up in an empty swimming pool! 

The discussion outside continued.

* * *

"She started to talk to me, about how her boyfriend had just left her or something, and I just sat and listened. I don't know why, but I did. Geez, it was hard. Her voice annoyed the hell out of me, but, eventually, she seemed really…_nice._ The more she talked, the more I became sort of…. infatuated. She reminded me of you… so intelligent and beautiful…. and it was kind of like being drunk. Not on alcohol or anything, but on her. Sakura, you don't know, but every time I'm around you, it's like I'm flying, like I'm drunk. I love that feeling." 

Ino scrunched her face and said in a high but quiet mocking voice, "Oh Sakura! You don't know, but you give me this high! I love you, so I went and cheated on you! Blah blah blah!" She returned to her normal voice and stated, "Idiot, he's making me sick." Hinata and Tenten nodded in agreement.

"Shut up for a second you guys! I can't hear!" Naruto complained.

"Oh no, Naruto. You cannot say anything," Tenten retorted, "YOU were with him that night. YOU didn't even watch out for him! YOU do not have the right to talk!"

"Come on, you guys!" Hinata whispered, her Byakugan activated, "Don't fight, we're here for Sakura, remember?"

The group got quiet and went back to eavesdropping.

* * *

" But, she didn't give me the same kind of high as you did, and I was missing you. I wanted to feel that high that you gave me so badly, so I started to talk to her, and when talking wasn't enough…. I kissed her….. but I still didn't feel it… so… I pushed it to…. you know." 

Those words hit Sakura like a brick wall. Breathing became difficult, and she started to sort of hiccup to bring in air. Was she interpreting this right?

_Oh God…. he gave himself to her….. How many others were before her? …..ew….. I don't even want to think about that…..….. I waited for him….. he couldn't wait for me?_

The single kiss was bad enough…. but this… this was…

"Sakura! Are you okay?" Sasuke asked concernedly while taking a few more steps towards her.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, a red chakra was swirling around a certain blond boy, just barely in check. Ino was nervously twisting her hair while Tenten punched the air, wishing for something a little more Sasuke-shaped to smash. Only Hinata remained still, watching closely and silently praying that everything would be okay.

* * *

"S-stay away from me!" she gasped. She stuck her arm in front of herself to keep him away in case he got any closer. He didn't. "W-W-We're not done talking! …… You went back to her……. More than once .….W-w-why?" 

The mood was suffocating him. He had to do something…something to lighten the atmosphere….

"Ah, well, you know… it's like Pringles."

Sakura gave him a confused look. Sasuke continued with possibly the worst move ever made by anyone in history.

"You know…. once you pop, you can't stop."

"WHAT THE HELL, SASUKE!!!!" Naruto screamed from behind the door, "YOU'RE WORSE THAN SAI!!!" Several pairs of hands covered his mouth to silence him.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Tenten whispered, "We're not really supposed to be here."

Naruto stopped struggling and quieted, but his breathing still came out heavy and angry. All four sat in quiet reverie.

_Man, if I wasn't so pissed I'd probably be laughing. That was the worst line I have ever heard…_

_Oh, poor Sakura, she is going to kill him. Wait, poor Sasuke. Meeting such an untimely death….._

_That freakin' ugly, disgusting, unfaithful, insensitive, stupid, undeserving piece of….._

_Well, good thing I brought the clean up kit._

The fighting couple glared at the kitchen door and then turned back to each other. One look at Sakura's face and he knew his life was over. Her teeth were bared and her hands were balled into fists. Breathing still irregular and heavy, she growled out a response.

"Whaaaat?"

"S-s-sorry. B-bad t-t-timing," he stuttered.

That was it. She couldn't hold in her feelings any longer. She stood up and pointed an accusing finger.

"Sasuke! You idiot! Do you know what you're doing to me?! Okay, you know what? Let's make a list. Number one: What makes you think you have the right to come here and compare me to that other woman? That _whore. _What happened to, "Oh Sakura, you're the only one for me, nobody else is like you."? Number two: How could you do this to me!? All I ever do is love you, care for you, and what do you do? You turn around and throw it in my face! Number three: You can't say you love me. You can't! And instead of saying it, how about showing it? Show your love, don't just say it. But it's too late for that now. Finally, number four: WHAT THE HELL KIND OF LINE WAS THAT!?!?!? PRINGLES!?!?! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?!?! YOU ARE JUST…….

Sasuke had been listening, eyes wide and shiny. He wasn't really processing everything, just catching a few words, and spending the rest of his time lost in thought.

_Wow… she's so beautiful…even when she's screaming at me…I can't believe this is happening...what do I do?…..she wants to see love?...I'll show her my love…_

He quickly got up from the couch where he was sitting and rushed at Sakura who was still yelling.

"….AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU DARED TO…mhf!"

He had pushed her up against a wall, holding her arms down with his.

"I said I'm sorry," he whispered, voice hoarse. He leaned in closer to her and nestled his head in the crook of her neck. " I'm sorry, okay? I love you. I know I messed up. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry. I'll work harder at showing you how much I love you….. please. Just stop. Don't say anything, because I don't know what else to say. I love you……" He continued to whisper into her neck, giving her chills that ran down her spine and making her knees buckle slightly.

Sakura's resolve was slipping. She stared across the room, in a daze. _He is so warm, and comforting, and he meant what he said, he meant it!!_ She felt something wet and hot drop on her shoulder. Turning her head to look, she saw that Sasuke was _crying.

* * *

_

"Hinata, what's going on?" Ino softly questioned, "It's too quiet in there."

"He's holding her," the Hyuuga replied, "Close."

"She's letting him touch her? Oh no, she's giving up!"

"Ino, come on," Tenten broke in, "you have to let her do it her way. If she wants to take him back, then let it be."

Naruto was busy rummaging through the refrigerator for snacks, but called out, "Yeah, just let her do whatever she wants. As long she's happy, it's okay."

* * *

Back in the living room, Sakura was still looking at the boy who she loved so much. Her eyes traveled from the top of his head, down, down, past the spiky, messy hair to his neck, where there was a weird mark…. _What is that? Oh my God, is that what I think it is?_ She ran her thumb over the strange, red streak, and saw the stuff smudge. _It is. It's lipstick. And it's not mine._

Sasuke lifted his head a little bit, hopeful that the touch meant she was starting to forgive him.

She felt all of that frustrating, destructive anger surge back. Chakra gathered in her hands, and she smacked him. Hard. Right on that garish red lipstick mark that was pissing her off so bad.

Hinata could not help but smile behind the door, and quickly relayed what she had just seen to the others.

A simultaneous, "YEAH!" emerged from the others.

Sasuke quickly jumped back up, temporarily going crazy. His sharingan was flashing in his eyes. NOBODY hit Uchiha Sasuke like that. He was in a confused fury, and advanced toward Sakura.

Sakura became scared and pressed herself closer to the wall. Was he going to attack her?

Hinata gasped, and called out, "Intervention time!"

All four friends quickly scrambled up, grabbing weapons. Naruto kicked the door open, and the three girls rushed out and slid in front of Sakura, ready to defend her.

Naruto promptly leapt from the doorway, tackled Sasuke, and yelled, "TEME! I thought you were pretty stupid, but pulling a stunt like that? You do not go around attacking your friends. Especially Sakura. Attacking Sakura is a no-no. Right guys?"

The three girls nodded.

Sasuke by now had deactivated his Sharingan. There was panic in his eyes, and he just couldn't think straight. What had he just done? He saw Sakura peeking out from behind her friends, hurt and confusion on her face.

_Oh God…. She thinks I'm a monster._

Naruto began to drag Sasuke out the door. "In that case, I hereby adjourn this meeting. Sasuke, she probably never wants to see your face again, so let's go." He turned to address the girls. "Don't worry guys, I'm just going to drag him home. Just to make sure he doesn't try anything….. sneaky."

The girls nodded again, but didn't give up their fighting stances. Naruto continued to drag Sasuke. He was surprised that Mr. Ice Princess wasn't struggling either. The only thing that gurgled out of his throat was, "Sorry, Sakura….. you know I didn't mean it." She looked away, unable to bear the pain anymore. He finally understood that he was losing her, and becoming desperate, started to wriggle. "Sakura! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! Naruto, let me go! Sakura! I'm sorry! I wasn't going to hurt you! Please!"

His cries were lost as Naruto yanked him out into the street.

* * *

It had been about ten minutes when Sasuke stopped struggling and went limp. He had turned into a silent rag doll. Naruto continued to drag him a while longer, but then stopped. 

"Get up, teme. You're too heavy for me to drag all the way to your house. We gotta talk anyway."

Sasuke stood, brushed the dirt off himself, and gave a bitter smile.

"Yeah, we do."

* * *

And so ends chapter, uh, 5! Hope you liked! I know updates are slow, but I'm trying to get it right for you guys. 


	6. The Talk

Sorry for the wait. School and extra curriculum stuff is crazy this time of year! Enjoy chapter 6!

* * *

The Talk

The two boys walked a while longer, each jamming their hands into their pockets. One gazing at the stars, one staring at the ground. One thinking about what to say next, the other not even knowing if he could take another step. One wondering what he should eat for breakfast the next morning, the other hoping he would die in the next forty-seven seconds.

The silence ended.

"Eh, teme, let's have 'The Talk.'

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up as he turned to face Naruto.

"Ugh, Sasuke, you pervert, I wasn't talking about that," Naruto said with disgust. He sneered and added, "Anyway, I probably wouldn't need to give you that 'Talk' because that chocolate lady already taught you everything, didn't she?"

The other boy's eyes fell back to the ground, and Naruto was immediately sorry.

"Hey, forget what I said. Let's talk about how we're going to get you back together."

Those dark eyebrows shot up once again.

"Didn't you just help her…?"

"Yes. Shut up so I can help you. Look, both of you are my best friends, so you deserve equal treatment…… Well, I take that back, you may not deserve it as much as she does."

"Do you have any other ways to make me feel worse?"

"Yes. Now, to Operation: Get Best Friends Back Together!"

Sasuke shrugged as Naruto flashed a toothy grin.

"Okay, so what we do is…….."

* * *

Sakura had gone back to sleep after making her friends promise not to leave her. Even so, she was fitfully dreaming about death and blood and sharingan. Her friends, however, were still up, helping her out in little ways. Hinata was cleaning up the house a bit, Ino was restocking her fridge, and Tenten was polishing Sakura's weapons. It was serenely quiet, until several strong knocks were heard on the door.

"I'll get it," Ino sighed, "It's probably just Naruto."

She padded softly to the door and opened it.

"Whoa…."

* * *

"Dobe, are you sure this is going to work?"

"Yes, teme. It's fail proof!"

"How many times have I heard that, trusted you, and then been injured physically, mentally, or emotionally?"

"Hey! The fat lady with chest hair was totally unexpected! It's not my fault she walked into the baths that day!"

Sasuke shuddered. "_Chest hair……."_

"And it definitely wasn't my fault that she got out of the water and you saw……whatever the hell that thing was! You shouldn't have been peeking!"

"Dobe, one, you were the one ogling all the underage girls, and two, I don't think 'she' should have been in the women's bath."

Naruto scoffed.

"Anyway, teme, we're getting off track. Let's go practice our plan!"

"_Your_ plan. And I don't think I need practice."

"We'll see about that."

* * *

"Whoa….."

Ino stared for a moment at the beautiful purple haired woman standing in Sakura's doorway, but quickly went back to normal and leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed.

"Excuse me, but I believe you have the wrong house. Sasuke's house is about one mile away, but I really don't think he's up for any fun tonight."

Purple sighed.

"I'm not looking for Sasuke. I'm looking for the pink haired girl. Sakura, right?"

Tenten came up, draped herself over Ino's shoulders, and said,

"Yeah, you have the right girl, but you're not coming in. You're a civilian, aren't you?"

Purple nodded.

"Then don't bother trying, because we are kunoichi. You know, the warriors of Konoha. Don't risk it."

Hinata arrived and leaned in on the other side of Ino, eyes on the floor.

"Please. Sakura is hurt tonight. Don't make her go through anymore. Just go away, and please don't come back."

A couple squeaks were heard from the couch where Sakura was sleeping, and then a throaty voice.

"It's okay guys. Let her in."

The three friends turned to face her and erupted into protest.

"But Sakura….."

"No! That stupid whore doesn't deserve….."

"You're really tired, Sakura. Just go back to sleep. We'll take care of her….."

Sakura stood up and brushed the pink strands of hair out of her face.

"No. It's okay. Let her in. It can't get much worse."

Tenten pulled out a kunai and tapped her chin with it.

"Fine. As long as she doesn't make you hurt anymore."

The woman nodded in _complete_ understanding.

The trio turned, glaring at the monstrosity in their doorway, and slowly backed away.

Purple took a step forward as Sakura made her way to the door. Once she reached the door, a shiny red box was gently folded into her arms.

"You forgot your chocolate," the woman stated with a small smile.

Sakura remained silent.

"I really came to tell you that I'm sorry."

Everyone's eyes opened a little wider.

"Don't be angry at me. I know what I did was wrong…..and I know exactly how you feel. You feel like there's an empty hole in your heart, and that time isn't going to fix it. You feel that tomorrow is never going to come, and you're kind of hoping that it never does. You feel hate burning inside, a fire that won't die."

The woman tried to hold back tears and began choking on her words.

"But mostly, you feel that sense of loss………and you try to be the strong one, carrying on about how you're the one who's in charge and who isn't hurt…..but really, you know that you're the victim. You're the one who is going to cry herself to sleep every night. You're the one who is going to have to hand out fake smiles. You're the one who is going to wake up in the morning and then wish that night would come back and never end."

Sakura stared, wide-eyed, as her feelings were described, almost perfectly.

"You're not the only one who's been cheated on. Take it from someone who knows. Just be happy that the man who deceived you loves you enough to try and get you back, and that you have friends who love you and protect you. Not everyone is that lucky. Enjoy the chocolates."

The woman turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Sakura rushed up to the woman and enveloped her in a hug. The woman gasped and went rigid, but eventually returned the hug. Each girl cried onto the other's shoulder. After what seemed like an eternity, Sakura pulled away.

"Would you like to stay for a while? We have ice cream."

"Mango?"

"Most definitely."

Tenten, Ino, and Hinata quietly followed the other two women into the kitchen, giving each other surprised looks, and thinking that the monstrosity wasn't such a monstrosity after all.

* * *

"Okay, teme! You're ready!"

Sasuke was breathing hard and a slight red tint was present on his cheeks.

"Naruto, are you completely sure that this will work?"

"How many times do I have to repeat myself? YES!"

Sasuke huffed and turned away.

"It better work."

"Just hope that your sucky social skills don't screw up the plan."

"I don't need social skills for this."

"That seems to be your answer to everything. Look how far it got you."

"Shut up. When do we do this thing?"

"I'm thinkin' three days from now."

"Fine. Be there."

* * *

Woo! Well, thanks for the reviews everyone. The next chapter will be the last. Since I'm on break, it'll probably come in a week or so. Happy holidays!


	7. Not The Point

Last chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed/read!

* * *

Not The Point

Ino walked into Ichiraku and sighed. It had been three days since the breakup, and she was going to meet up with her friends for dinner. The blonde trudged to a seat and slumped into it. She wondered if her heartbroken friend was okay.

_Stupid question. Who would be "okay" after that?_

Her hand ran over the cool, smooth counter, and she sighed again.

"Hey Ino!"

Tenten popped into the ramen stand and plopped down next to Ino. She noticed that her friend was desperately worried about Sakura, and frowned.

"Ino, at least put on a brave face when Sakura gets here. She's the one who needs help, not you."

"Yeah, uh, sorry, I will. It's just so difficult though."

"I know how you feel, Sakura is my friend too. Still, we need to…..oh!"

Both girls gasped as they felt a light touch on their arms.

"Sorry for scaring you guys. What's going on?"

"It's alright Hinata, Ino and I were just talking about Sakura."

"Oh."

Hinata deepened her touch on the girls. They both enjoyed the slight warmth that came from her.

"I feel that this whole thing is so wrong. Just thinking about it makes me tired and sad."

"Yeah, Sakura…."

"Shh! She's coming!"

All three girls put on huge grins and started chattering about how green the grass was today. Sakura drifted into the stand, a dazed look in her eyes. Tenten turned to look at her.

"Sakura! You're here! Sit down! We haven't ordered yet, we were waiting for you. What do you want to eat?"

Sakura shifted nervously and gently lowered herself onto a seat.

"Erm, I really don't feel hungry."

"Oh come on, the food is good! It'll make you feel better."

"I don't know guys……"

Tenten sighed. This was not going well. They were going to have to be tough.

"Sakura, we seriously realize that you are not doing well, but you have to tell us what's going on or we can't help you. You know that. So tell us what's on your mind, because you should be happy right now."

Tenten received a sharp jab in the ribs.

"What? She won't tell us otherwise."

Sakura ran her hands through her hair and sighed.

"No, it's okay. Um, well, I'm not doing so well because…. I love Sasuke, honestly. But, I don't know if I want him back or not. I'm scared that…..he'll hurt me again, and I don't think I can take a third hit. And I'm not sure if I'm ready to forgive him. But I think I want to be with him."

All three girls stared at her dumbfounded. Ino finally found her voice.

"WHAAAAT?!? I don't think so Sakura! Do you even realize what he did to you? He doesn't deserve you! You know those little doubts you're having right now? Well, take them as red flags! Don't go back to him, and don't take him back. He will probably hurt you again!"

"You know how he is!" Hinata piped.

Tenten added, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Don't let there be a third time, Sakura."

"But guys, I…."

Ino interrupted her. This was not good.

"No. Sakura, you don't completely understand what everything means. Let me lay it out for you. Okay, first, this shows that if the temptation is great enough, he's going to abandon you. If he loved you, he would always choose you, no matter what. Second, he betrayed you twice. Twice! So who's to say he won't do it again? Third, he decided to sleep with a woman ten minutes after meeting her, but almost never shows you affection when you've known each other for years! What does that say to you? Do you understand me?"

Sakura pondered on Ino's words for a minute, and stood.

"You're right. All of you guys are. Sasuke is no good. I am _never_ going to get back with him. He's just been playing with me all these years. It's not going to happen again, so…….let's eat some ramen."

"We're cool with that."

* * *

"Dobe, are you sure this is going to work?" 

"How many times do I have to say it? Yes! It works all the time in the movies!"

"That's comforting."

"Shut up."

Naruto and Sasuke were currently hiding in a bush along the side of a road. It was rather cramped, and Sasuke was getting seriously annoyed.

"Okay, teme. Here is your one and only chance to get Sakura back. Understand? Don't blow it. I have learned from one of my sources…"

"Hinata?"

"How did you know? Wait, shut up, that's not the point. Anyway, Sakura is eating dinner with her friends. She is going to come out and walk home on this road. So, you're going get into position, and then we'll put the plan in action. Get it?!"

"Hn."

"Teme."

* * *

"See you later!" Sakura called cheerfully as she left the ramen stand. She felt relieved, and ready to face the world. 

_It's good to have friends who care about you….._

She traveled on the road home, noticing how beautiful the flowers were. She saw a little boy run after his younger sister and laughed when he finally caught her.

She found a small frog in the middle of the road and moved him to a nearby pond. Benevolence was in her nature, but today especially. After taking care of the frog, she continued home, walking on that certain road…….

"Teme, she's coming! Get ready!"

"Shut up, dobe, I've been ready."

Naruto peered out of the bush with binoculars. Everything was going according to plan, until…

"HEY SAKURAAAA!!"

_Crap._

Ino, Tenten, and Hinata, came skipping down the road, holding a small amount of money.

"Sakura, you forgot your change!" Tenten chirped.

"Oh, thanks! You guys always take care of me. Do you want to come to my house? We're almost there, anyway."

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke were still in that bush.

"They're not supposed to be here, are they?" Sasuke asked, a little panic in his usually cool demeanor.

"No, they're not! Argh! I'll distract them or something. Just hurry up and get to your position!"

Sasuke was gone with a poof.

Naruto popped out of the bush.

"SURPRISE, EVERYONE!!!"

A shriek resounded throughout the village.

"Holy crap! Naruto, what are you doing?" Ino cried.

"Um, Don't you guys know? It's uh, HIDE IN A BUSH DAY!!! Happy Hide in a Bush Day, guys!"

"Naruto, what are you doing now?"

"Eh, ah, you guys are supposed to hide in a bush! It's a national holiday! Let's celebrate!"

He was met with blank stares. Hinata giggled softly.

"Okay, Naruto, we'll 'celebrate' with you. Come on guys!"

"Hinata, are you okay? Have you been drinking?"

"No, I'm just bored. Come on, it'll be fun! Well, more fun than going home and watching television."

"Fine."

Naruto and Hinata climbed into a nearby bush first, and Ino and Tenten followed. Sakura started to climb in, but was stopped by Naruto.

"Sorry, pink-haired people aren't allowed to celebrate."

Sakura stared for a moment, and then smiled, going along with his "silly joke."

_He probably has a gift or something for me. He's so thoughtful._

"Okaay, Naruto, I see. Well, this pink hair is going to go home to a nice bubble bath. Have fun in the bush!" She began to walk briskly back on the road, totally unprepared for what exactly Naruto had in store for her.

* * *

"Okay Naruto, what's really going on?" Ino questioned, "This bush is a little cramped, and as much as I like your butt in my face, I'm going to have to leave unless something interesting happens." 

"Okay, okay. What we're going to do is get Sasuke back together with Sakura!"

Shouts of protest were heard inside the bush.

"Yeah, okay, but guys, they love each other! The planets have aligned, the stars are shining! It's meant to be!"

"Naruto, you've been watching way too many romantic comedies, and there aren't even any stars out."

"Not the point. Anyway, we need them alone, so that's why I had to get you guys out of the way."

"I have half a mind to go out there and tell her your stupid idea right now."

"Don't! Come on. Maybe if you know what the plan is, you'll agree with me."

"What is it?"

Naruto whispered the plan in each girl's ear.

"Wow! So cute and romantic!"

"That's adorable, I love it! Just like the movies!"

"I wanna watch! I'll definitely let him try to get her back if that's the plan."

"Okay, okay, you guys can watch, but you have to promise not to interfere."

The three girls nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go."

* * *

Sasuke was sweating in another bush a little further down the road. Looking sexy was tough work, supposedly. He began to sweat even more when he saw Sakura approach. He went through the plan one more time in his head, and then stepped out of the bush. 

Sakura had been making her way back home. She found herself looking at the sky, at the sun that was slowly setting. When she turned her attention back to the road, there he was.

_Please don't tell me he's in front of me. Please don't tell me he's here to hurt me again._

He just stood there, looking at her with those dark, mysterious eyes. Her legs became wobbly and her heart was pounding out of her chest. He took a step toward her, another, and another. Where had she seen this before? When had she last felt this way? He kept coming closer and closer. He stopped in front of her, his face so close that she could feel his hot breath on her face.

"Hey."

His arms wrapped around her and leaned in next to her ear.

"Hey, I……"

The memory came back in a flash.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!!" She shoved him away, "I am NOT falling for that one. What is this? Please don't tell me that you got this off of some romantic comedy."

In another nearby bush, Naruto stared dejectedly at the ground.

"Because, in case you don't know, stuff that works in movies doesn't necessarily work in real life. And not only that, this is one of the most clichéd ideas of the century!!"

Sasuke stared in disbelief.

"What?"

"You know exactly what. It's the whole 'just-like-the-first-time-you-told-me-you-loved-me' plan. Bastard. I'm not taking you back. Go straight and directly to hell."

"Ooo, she told him," Ino whispered evilly, "This isn't exactly what you told us would happen."

"Shut up, Ino."

_Time to go to plan B._

"Sakura, please listen. I love you. If you don't take me back…I'll…I'll kill myself!"

"Do you have a list of clichéd ideas or something?"

_Okaaay, plan C…. ugh, screw it, they aren't working. I hate you, Naruto._

"Okay Sakura, no more clichés. Sorry. I just want you to know, that I love you. And that I'm happy that I got to spend so much time with you. And that I really want you to be happy. So if that means taking me out of the picture…then I understand."

Sakura just stared.

"So, I'll…I'll see you later." He turned and started to walk towards his house.

"He's just giving up like that?" Tenten said with disdain, "well, then, he definitely doesn't deserve her."

"Sasuke, wait!" Sakura called. She ran up to him.

"The truth is, I want to be with you. I've chased you for so long, and I know how it feels to be rejected by the one you love. Several times, in fact."

Sasuke winced.

"I know that I've said crazy things like 'I don't need you,' or 'I don't want you,' but they're not true. My friends told me the same thing, encouraged me, but I….. I think I know what I want. I do need and want you. So……you know what they say. Third time's the charm."

"Dang," Ino commented, "she's giving up! This is exactly what we said to watch for."

"Eh, just let her be happy," came Hinata's reply, "we'll kill him if things go wrong again."

"Seriously, Hinata, have you been drinking?"

Their attention turned back to the drama unfolding before them. He had run back to the girl now, and was holding her snug against his chest. She looked up, smirked, and said,

"I need you like the sun needs the moon, like a fish needs water, like plants need sunlight, like a fat boy needs…."

"Okay, okay! I get it about the whole cliché thing. Sorry."

"Whatever."

She looked at him one more time with bright eyes, and pressed her lips to his, to which he responded immediately. Naruto and the others sighed happily and relaxed in the bush, but became alert once again, when they saw their two lip-locked friends. Something was horribly wrong…….

"OH TEME, GROSS!" Naruto screamed as he hopped out of the bush, all the girls following, "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO KISS HER, NOT EAT HER FACE OFF!!!"

"Oh, to think I ever wanted to kiss Sasuke. Thank goodness I got over him before this…..this… horror could happen to me. How does she deal with it?"

"MY EYES! I AM SCARRED FOREVER!!!"

"I'm afraid to sleep tonight. Um, does someone want to hold me?"

"UGH! HIS MOUTH!!! IT'S JUST ALL OVER!!! WHY MEEEEEEEE?!?!?!"

"Oh hell. Gross."

"Hinata! Was that you?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You have been drinking!!"

"…..not the point."

* * *

Haha, Sasuke's a bad kisser. Just thought I'd have my fun with him.

Woo! The End! So, since I have so much time this week, I'm working on a couple of oneshots. We'll see how it turns out. Till next time!


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